Schuurman Schoenen. People and product at the centre, from academy to heat pump.

Schuurman Schoenen is a leading footwear retailer in the Netherlands. The family business has 650 employees and, from next year, 49 stores. HR manager Patrick Roeterdink stresses that the organisation’s greatest asset is the person behind the product. This people-centred approach is paying off.

This people-centred approach is paying off. Schuurman Schoenen has now been named best footwear retailer nine times in a row for its physical stores and six times in a row in the online category. “We have a flat organisation in which everyone works hard and rolls up their sleeves. That cooperation is what makes us strong,” Patrick says proudly.

A fine example of the people-centred approach is the cooperation with a sheltered workshop, where thirty colleagues work. “We do not look at limitations, but at possibilities,” Patrick explains. “These colleagues belong here just as much as everyone else. We are proud that we can give colleagues with extra challenges a full place with us too.”

To take the people-centred vision further in practice, Schuurman Schoenen decided to call in the help of Ignite Group.

The cooperation with Ignite Group is characterised by trust, short lines of communication and a personal approach. Patrick describes the relationship aptly: “We are pleasantly down-to-earth with each other. We call each other by our first names, we support each other when that is needed and if there is time left over, we talk football! We are one big team and do not talk in terms of clients and customers. I really appreciate that. The biggest advantage is that Ignite Group takes everything off our hands. From start to finish, including the aftercare, we can always count on their colleagues. That is where Ignite Group’s strength lies.”

With 1.3 million shoes sold per year and a warehouse full of modern robotics, Schuurman Schoenen is ready for the future. Thanks to the cooperation with Ignite Group, all its energy and attention can stay on what really matters: the people and the shoes.